Control of dust and other airborne particulate material is a major issue in building construction and renovation projects, particularly when other sections of the building or structure are inhabited or otherwise used and must remain free of such airborne particulates. The adverse affects of high concentrations of airborne dust and other particulates on personnel are well known, and must be minimized. Electronic operating equipment (e.g., computer terminals, electronic control systems, HVAC systems, and the like) are also adversely affected by high levels of airborne particulates and must be protected from excess exposure to dust and other matter generated from construction and remodeling projects.
Current methods of dust and particulate control involve erecting portable partitions to isolate the areas where dust is being produced. These partitions generally use any manner of portable scaffolding, poles, or other structure for supporting plastic sheeting or other generally impermeable sheeting materials between the floor and ceiling to isolate the “dirty” area. The conventional sheeting materials are, however, problematic in certain respects. For example, plastic sheeting materials are non-porous and do not allow air to circulate into the partitioned-off areas. These areas eventually become hot and humid, and the odors generated from the construction materials also become essentially trapped in the enclosure. This results in a less than optimal environment for personnel that must work within the partitioned area. Also, the plastic sheeting material does not capture the airborne particulates, which tend to accumulate on the floor of the partitioned area where they are repeatedly “stirred-up” or agitated into subsequent airborne matter.
The support structure for the plastic or other heavy, non-porous sheet materials must also be designed to handle and support the relatively heavy materials over long periods of time.
Various patent references describe portable partition systems. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,924,469; 6,321,823; and 7,108,040 to Whittemore describe various structural support devices intended to support “curtains” of flexible sheet material defined to include cloth sheets, drapes, and plastic tarps. U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,321 describes a modular system that includes a rigid frame for supporting flexible plastic sheet material that stretched over and secured to the frame. U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2005/0077015 describes a telescoping pole system having a clamping device at an end thereof for retaining plastic or other sheet material in a temporary partition.
A need still exists for improved temporary, portable partitions that offer distinct advantages over the current available systems.